The annual series of open tournaments at the Otago chess Club commenced with the Otago Autumn Rapid Open on Saturday 7th March. The tournaments provide non-members a chance to experience intense competition and test their skills against club players. The event attracted 15 entries and proved a happy hunting ground for young players looking to score upset victories over their more experienced rivals. Top seed Quentin Johnson was lucky to draw in the first round against Joe McKee (13). In just the same round Riley Jellyman (14) defeated visiting Cantabrian Ross Black and Ethan Lau (12) beat club President Bob Clarkson in what proved to be the tournament's biggest upset – thereby winning the upset prize.
Eventually ratings counted for something and first place went to Johnson on 4½/5, ahead of second seed Leighton Nicholls on 4 points. Mckee won the under 1500 grade undefeated on 3½ ahead of Jellyman, Naser Tamimi (16) and Max Lough (13) on 3 points.
Today's game is the first round draw between Mckee (playing White) and the writer.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3
Transposing to the Sicilian Alapin, where the c-pawn supports a later d2-d4 by White. 3... Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 g6 7.Bc4 Nb6 8.b3 d5 9.Bb5 Bg7 10.O-O O-O 11.Bxc6!?
Ceding the bishop pair in order to create a backward pawn on the open c-file. 11... bxc6 12.Bf4 Bf5 13.Nh4!?
Aggressive. The closes nature of the pawn position means that Black can't take advantage of White's delay in development. 13... Qd7 14.Nd2 Rfc8 15.Rc1 a5 16.a3!
Planning to keep the a-file closed and cement his grip on the c5 square. Black presses on to gain access to c4 to block the attack on his weak c-pawn. 16... a4 17.b4 Bd3 18.Re1 Nc4?!
Black's idea has a serious positional flaw. He could have backtracked by 18... Bf5 keeping the piece for defence. 19.Nxc4?!
White misses the best continuation 19.Rc3! forcing 19... Nxd2 20.Qxd2 when White will attack on the e-file in the event of 20... Bc4 21.e6! or on the c-file after 20...Be4 21.f3 Bf5 22.Nxf5 Qxf5 23.Rec1. 19... Bxc4?
Black leaves himself without a shred of counterplay while White has prospects of a strong kingside attack. After 19... dxc4! the counterattack on d4 ties a piece to its defence and the Black bishop prevents the c1 rook swinging to the kingside. 20.Rc3
Also promising was the pawn sacrifice 20.e6!?, which Black immediately prevents - but at the same time creates a hole on f6. 20... e6 21.Bg5! h6 22.Bf6 Bxf6 23.exf6 g5??
A serious weakening of the kingside that should have been punished. But after 23... Qd8 24.Rf3! White retains a strong attack, since if 24... g5? trying to win the knight 25.Ng6! fxg6 26.f7+ Kf8 27.Rxe6 wins easily. 24.f4?!
Still winning, but most convincing was 24.Qh5! threatening to take on h6 with mate to follow. If 24... Kh7, we have today's diagram, where White mates by 25.Nf5! exf5 26.Rh3 etc. 24... Qd8 25.Nf3?!
Losing his way as the knight is not really vulnerable. After 25.fxg5 hxg5 26.Qf3! Kf8 (26... gxh4? 27.Qg4+ Kf8 28.Qg7+ Ke8 29.Qg8+ Kd7 30.Qxf7+ Qe7 31.Qxe7#) 27.Re5 gxh4 28.Rh5 winning the Black queen. 25...Qxf6?!
Taking the wrong pawn. After 25... gxf4 26.Ne5 Qxf6 27.Rf3 Ra7 28.Qc1 White will win back the f4 pawn with a strong attack. 26.fxg5 hxg5 27.Qd2?
Missing the last chance to reap the reward for his strong attacking play: 27.Nxg5! creates such strong threats that Black must give up his queen 27... Qxg5 28.Rg3 with a winning material advantage. 27...Qf4!
Without queens, Black's defensive prospects are much improved. 28.Qxf4 gxf4 29.Ne5 Bb5 30.Rf3 Ra7 31.Rxf4 f5?! 32.Ng6?!
Black's inaccuracy could have been exploited by 33.Nf3! Re8 (33... Kf7 34.Ng5+) 34.Rxf5! exf5 35.Rxe8+ winning a pawn. 32... Kf7 33.Ne5+ Kg8 34.Ng6 Kf7
The players agreed a draw as their remaining time ran low. White has an advantage due to his better pieces and passed h-pawn, but no clear win.
½-½ Solution: 1.Nf5! exf5 (1... Kg8 2.Qxh6 and 3.Qg7#) 2.Rh3 Kg8 3.Qxh6 and Qg7#.
Open season on Otago players
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
The annual series of open tournaments at the Otago chess Club commenced with the Otago Autumn Rapid Open on Saturday 7th March. The tournaments provide non-members a chance to experience intense competition and test their skills against club players. The event attracted 15 entries and proved a happy hunting ground for young players looking to score upset victories over their more experienced rivals. Top seed Quentin Johnson was lucky to draw in the first round against Joe McKee (13). In just the same round Riley Jellyman (14) defeated visiting Cantabrian Ross Black and Ethan Lau (12) beat club President Bob Clarkson in what proved to be the tournament's biggest upset – thereby winning the upset prize.
Eventually ratings counted for something and first place went to Johnson on 4½/5, ahead of second seed Leighton Nicholls on 4 points. Mckee won the under 1500 grade undefeated on 3½ ahead of Jellyman, Naser Tamimi (16) and Max Lough (13) on 3 points.
Today's game is the first round draw between Mckee (playing White) and the writer.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.c3
Transposing to the Sicilian Alapin, where the c-pawn supports a later d2-d4 by White.
3... Nf6
4.e5 Nd5
5.d4 cxd4
6.cxd4 g6
7.Bc4 Nb6
8.b3 d5
9.Bb5 Bg7
10.O-O O-O
11.Bxc6!?
Ceding the bishop pair in order to create a backward pawn on the open c-file.
11... bxc6
12.Bf4 Bf5
13.Nh4!?
Aggressive. The closes nature of the pawn position means that Black can't take advantage of White's delay in development.
13... Qd7
14.Nd2 Rfc8
15.Rc1 a5
16.a3!
Planning to keep the a-file closed and cement his grip on the c5 square. Black presses on to gain access to c4 to block the attack on his weak c-pawn.
16... a4
17.b4 Bd3
18.Re1 Nc4?!
Black's idea has a serious positional flaw. He could have backtracked by 18... Bf5 keeping the piece for defence.
19.Nxc4?!
White misses the best continuation 19.Rc3! forcing 19... Nxd2 20.Qxd2 when White will attack on the e-file in the event of 20... Bc4 21.e6! or on the c-file after 20...Be4 21.f3 Bf5 22.Nxf5 Qxf5 23.Rec1.
19... Bxc4?
Black leaves himself without a shred of counterplay while White has prospects of a strong kingside attack. After 19... dxc4! the counterattack on d4 ties a piece to its defence and the Black bishop prevents the c1 rook swinging to the kingside.
20.Rc3
Also promising was the pawn sacrifice 20.e6!?, which Black immediately prevents - but at the same time creates a hole on f6.
20... e6
21.Bg5! h6
22.Bf6 Bxf6
23.exf6 g5??
A serious weakening of the kingside that should have been punished. But after 23... Qd8 24.Rf3! White retains a strong attack, since if 24... g5? trying to win the knight 25.Ng6! fxg6 26.f7+ Kf8 27.Rxe6 wins easily.
24.f4?!
Still winning, but most convincing was 24.Qh5! threatening to take on h6 with mate to follow. If 24... Kh7, we have today's diagram, where White mates by 25.Nf5! exf5 26.Rh3 etc.
24... Qd8
25.Nf3?!
Losing his way as the knight is not really vulnerable. After 25.fxg5 hxg5 26.Qf3! Kf8 (26... gxh4? 27.Qg4+ Kf8 28.Qg7+ Ke8 29.Qg8+ Kd7 30.Qxf7+ Qe7 31.Qxe7#) 27.Re5 gxh4 28.Rh5 winning the Black queen.
25...Qxf6?!
Taking the wrong pawn. After 25... gxf4 26.Ne5 Qxf6 27.Rf3 Ra7 28.Qc1 White will win back the f4 pawn with a strong attack.
26.fxg5 hxg5
27.Qd2?
Missing the last chance to reap the reward for his strong attacking play: 27.Nxg5! creates such strong threats that Black must give up his queen 27... Qxg5 28.Rg3 with a winning material advantage.
27...Qf4!
Without queens, Black's defensive prospects are much improved.
28.Qxf4 gxf4
29.Ne5 Bb5
30.Rf3 Ra7
31.Rxf4 f5?!
32.Ng6?!
Black's inaccuracy could have been exploited by 33.Nf3! Re8 (33... Kf7 34.Ng5+) 34.Rxf5! exf5 35.Rxe8+ winning a pawn.
32... Kf7
33.Ne5+ Kg8
34.Ng6 Kf7
The players agreed a draw as their remaining time ran low. White has an advantage due to his better pieces and passed h-pawn, but no clear win.
½-½
Solution: 1.Nf5! exf5 (1... Kg8 2.Qxh6 and 3.Qg7#) 2.Rh3 Kg8 3.Qxh6 and Qg7#.